A nuclear Iran would pose a threat to Israel, US Vice President Joe Biden said Monday.
"A nuclear armed Iran would pose an existential threat to Israel, an unacceptable danger to world peace and security, including the likely bid of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, making everyone less secure," he said in a speech at the annual conference organized by the American group J Street in Washington.
He also said that while the Obama administration may have revamped its approach to the Middle East in the past week, its stance on Israel remains unchanged.
“America’s support for Israel’s security is unshakable,'' Biden said,
‘’There’s a moral connection, he said, but there also are clear national security interests.’’
“If there were not an Israel, we would have to invent one to make sure our interests were preserved,” Biden added.
He warned that there are reasons to be concerned about the region, given the instability caused by Iran’s nuclear program, the Syrian civil war and the ongoing upheavals of the Arab Spring.
“The region has gone to the forced calm of dictatorship to the euphoria of revolution,” he said. “These changes in the Middle East affect both of our national security interests.”
Biden’s remarks came just after he met Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the White House, a meeting which took place shortly after Netanyahu met US President Barack Obama.
After the meeting, both Obama and Netanyahu highlighted the importance of maintaining the pressure of sanctions and a credible military threat while engaging in dialogue over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Speaking alongside Netanyahu in the Oval Office, Obama said that “given the statements and actions from the Iranian regime in the past,” it is “absolutely clear that words are not sufficient, that we have to have actions” to show “that they [Iran] are not in a position to have a nuclear weapon.”
Obama reassured Netanyahu that although “we have to test diplomacy,” he would enter talks with Iran “very clear-eyed” and would demand “the highest standards of verification” before reconsidering sanctions on Iran. Obama also reiterated “we take no options off the table, including military options” to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu expressed appreciation for Obama’s commitment that “Iran’s conciliatory words have to be matched by real actions” and “the enormous work” regarding sanctions.
However, he said that “Iran is committed to Israel’s destruction” and “if diplomacy is to work” then the “combination of a credible military threat and… sanctions” must be kept in place. Indeed, he said that “if Iran continues to advance its nuclear program during negotiations, the sanctions should be strengthened.”
Netanyahu also reiterated his commitment to current peace talks with the Palestinian Authority, commenting “I hope that we can achieve an historic transformation” for both peoples.
The Israeli Prime Minister will deliver on Tuesday a speech at the United Nations’ General Assembly, which is also expected to focus on Iran.